Key-action.



PATENTED APR. 30, 1907.

M. MILLER.

KEY ACTION.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 28. 1905.

WITNESSES: lzvl/gzvfo/e 7 A TTOR/VE yS MARTIN MILLER, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

KEY-ACTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 30, 1907.

A li ation m d November 28.1905. Serial No. 289.470.

T0 (DZ/Z who/2'1, it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN MILLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, haveinvented a new and useful Key- Action, of which the following is a s)eciiica tion.

The object of the invention is the provision of certain new and usefulimprovements in the action, whereby the hammer is permitted to reboundfrom the string and remain in its inactive position while the free endof the key is depressed. In this connection, it is proposed tomaterially simplify the action so as to reduce to the minimum theliability of the same getting out of order, and at the same time toinsure the prompt and effective response of the hammer to the depressionof the key.

With these and other objects in view, the present invention consists inthe combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter morefully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and particularlypointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view thereof of thekey action. Fig. 2 is a view of the action with the key depressed. andthe hammer in engagement with the string. Fig. 3 is a similar viewshowing the key depressed with the hammer in its normal position.

Like characters of reference designate cor responding parts in all ofthe figures of the drawings.

The sounding element of the present instrument includes a hollowsounding board or box 1 having strings stretched thereon in any suitableor approved manner. It is proposed to support the sounding element in anupright position by means of a base which includes a bottom 2, a back 3,and opposite ends 4, the top and front of the base being open or closedas desired. Each of the ends 4 is provided with an upright slot 5intersecting its top edge and constituting a seat for the reception ofthe bottom of the sounding element, whereby the latter is supported inan upright position and may be conveniently assembled with the base andremoved therefrom without disconnecting any fastening devices.

In connection with the sounding board and strings, it is essential, tothe most effective operation of the instrument, that each string bestruck by its hammer at a point one-seventh of its length from thebottom thereof, wherefore I have provided a construction best shown inFig. 5 of the drawhand end of the bottom of the sounding ings, whereinit will be noted that the left the adjacent seat 5 and support tnesounding element in an upright position. The strings pass around and areconnected to the bottom of the sounding board in any appropriate manner,and are decreased in length from left to right and are proporti ned sothat the horizontal striking line of the series of hammers, designatedby the dotted line Aii, in Fig. 5, is one-seventh of the length of eachstring from the lower end of said string.

The hammer 7 of the present invention carried at the upper end of ahammer bar 8 which latter is provided at its lower end with a hammerblock 9 fulcrumed upon a horizontal support 10, preferably in the natureof a rod or bar extending between and carried by the ends of the base.Normally, the head of the hammer rests against a stop rail 11 carried bythe ends of the body in front of the sounding heard, there being a deadcushion 12 provided upon the rear side of the rail for engagement by thehammer head to prevent rebounding of the hammer therefrom. This cushionconsists of a case having a suitable filling, such for instance, assand. which is non-elastic and therefore the hammer does not tend torebound from the rail.

For each hammer there is a key 13 of the usual type which is fulcrumedintermediate of its ends upon a rod or bar 14 extending be tween andcarried by the ends of the base. The inner free end portion of the keyis provided with a longitudinal upright socket or slot 15 in which isdisposed an upright jack 16 which has its lower end pivoted within thesocket as at 17, there being a spring 18 located in the socket andbearing against the front wall thereof and the front edge of the fingerto yieldably maintain the latter in an upright position.

In the normal. condition of the action, as illustrated in Fig. i. of thedrawings, the upper end of the finger is received within a seat or notch19 formed in the lower portion of the front edge of the hammer block 9,with the hammer resting against the cushioned stop rail 11. When thefree end of the key is cepressed, as in E driven torward bv the v niv r"-H: 0t pen 0 in tne 110M117, i 9 nntii the shonider or r 1. ,7 thefinger or met: 16 out of he notch or s 19, the bioek 9 being out away,as at 20 in order that the ok may continue to rise after it is reiez' so'1 troln the notoh 1O h n the hznniner rebounds from. the spring, theblock 9 forces the jack if; ronrn'zn'dl upon its pivotat support 17 inorder that said 1 not interfere with the on) the hannne". Upon 'nner oned into 01 h initue'ioe of tripping n t nil/1* from the 1 J 1 .i r0111.ti 1, I seen that the pr snnnte and I tectivo, as t i:

we lie the he; I renm' sound jiYQi1 out by the string 1 or thei2111liner but is stein an d i It Wi l he noted t of the seat 19 isin'gnne the jack 16 so as to oil" or extension at th is of :t ion ongngoto the striking of the hdnnner has the string, as ii Fig. 2, tilClQiJYto force the jack 16 out of the seat Without the f employment Theadvantage of this feature is to prevent 1 hnn ing of the jack in theseat and, t0 discon- V (t the ke 1nd the imnnnor in. order that thelatter may he tree to rebound from the 7 after striking the some.

.Hm'ing thus des is ehi-iniod is:

key action COHLP'I'iSiNQ a key pivotniiy vorted for nn'inuztl operzttattached diroe i to move positively and hodiiy it spring: h airing atone end 2 he 21nd at its other end ugnii'lst and having a tendonor toexpand natty of the key or surfaces reotmn uhn'ly dis ate-h other, atYer nnnvr biOfk pivoted ad the hammer jack, it SL1i Stz1H- mnnner steinzittzu'hod to the :t hznnnier carried by extraneous ibed the invention,Wtlitt to the hev,

on and Uni ,len lly 01on- 1 it the point of merger the convex side U )(1the side snhstztntinlly "diet niti'i the StGlH of the hznnmer hestiinoin that I claim the foregoing as 1 my on; i have hereto urthxedni signature esenro o't two witnesses.

